Wireless data networks serve wireless user devices with mobile data services like video streaming, internet access, and voice calling. The wireless data networks have wireless access points that exchange user data over the air with the wireless user devices. The wireless data networks also have Network Function Virtualization Infrastructures (NFVIs) that are directed by Management and Orchestration (MANO) systems. The MANO systems implement Network Service Descriptors (NSDs) to control the NFVIs. The NFVIs execute Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) responsive to the MANO system control. To deliver the wireless data services, the user devices communicate with the access points, and the access points communicate with the VNFs that are running in the NFVIs.
A network slice comprises a virtual portion of the wireless data network. The network slice may be an end-to-end network, core network, access network, or combinations thereof. To form a network slice, a network slice controller instructs the NFV MANO system to implement an NSD for the network slice. The NFV MANO system directs the NFVI to run the VNFs for the network slice based on the NSD. The network slice controller also instructs the wireless access points for the network slice to serve the wireless user devices for the network slice. To deliver wireless data services within the network slice, the user devices in the network slice communicate with the access points in the network slice, and these access points communicate with the VNFs in the network slice that are running in the NFVIs.
A distributed ledger is comprised of data blocks that are copied and executed across multiple computers. Each block has an immutable portion and a dynamic portion. The immutable portions of the ledger blocks interact with one another to reach consensus on new data before storing the new data in the dynamic portion of the ledger. For example, the ledger blocks may reach a consensus on a user's payment amount before storing the payment amount. Various consensus algorithms are available for use by the distributed ledger. The distributed ledger also uses ledger oracles to feed information into the distributed ledger and to read data from distributed ledger. Various ledger oracles are available for use by the distributed ledger as well.
Unfortunately, current wireless network slices do not effectively implement distributed ledgers. Moreover, the network slice controllers do not interact with the distributed ledger oracles to properly optimize network slice operations.